the meaning of "I'll be damned"

[kjc0123]

What is the meaning of "I'll be damned" in the following sentence?

When he visited a tiny island off the coast of France, Phil commented, "I've studied French for twenty years, but I'll be damned if I can make out a word of the jargon on this island.

[Quizmonster]

"I'll be damned if I can..." just means "I can't." "I'll be damned if I can get this bottle open" means "I can't open it."

In your example, the person is convinced he knows French, but - because of the words used and perhaps the speed of the speech there - he cannot understand what the people are saying, despite the fact that it is supposed to be French.

[Rofl]

not likely